There's something about hip hop performed with a full-throttle live
band that is visceral and undeniable. The bass feels an octave
deeper, the snare crack becomes a firework pop, the Fender Rhodes
shimmers like phosphorescent algae, and the interplay between the
performers takes on a fire and spontaneity that vinyl simply cannot
approximate.

The story goes like this: Philadelphia gave birth to the Roots, and
Boston begat the Crown City Rockers. Luckily for us, the non-Fogerty
CCR moved to Oakland, and have become a major West Coast force. The
CCR are fiercely independent, working without management but still
managing to get top gigs based on word-of-mouth love. Common, Talib
Kweli, and Angela Davis have all shared the stage with them in recent
years, and the Rockers' chief MC, Raashan Ahmad, got critical raves
for his Soul Power album, which came out this past May. KEVIN SEAL